Apparatus for agitating and dispensing frozen foods



APPARATUS FOR AGITATING AND DISPENSING FROZEN FooDs Filed OCT'. 6, 1947 T. CARVEL.

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APPARATUS Fon AGITATING AND DISPENSING FRozEN mons Filed Oct. 6, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR. Two/wis dam/5L m m, W49 'r. @AMEL 4919352 APPARATUS FOR AGITATING AND`DISPENSING FROZEN FOODS atented Dec. 20, 1949 APPARATUS FOR AGITATING AND DISPENSING FROZEN FOODS Thomas Carvel, Hartsdale, N. Y.

Application October `6, 1947, Serial No. 778,213

l 6 Claims. l

The present invention relates generally to apparatus for handling such foods as frozen custard, ice creams and the like foods. More specifically, my invention relates to an apparatus for cold treatment of such foods and for extruding same in semi-solid condition. These will hereinafter be referred to as soft foods.

The main object of the present invention is the provision of an apparatus for treating such soft foods as above referred to during the formation thereof, and for extruding same.

An associated major object of the present invention is the provision of a device for treating and extruding soft foods, which comprises a hollow cylinder and a rotatable shaft therewithin, on which shaft is mounted a plurality of overlapping propeller blades to advance the foods toward the outlet port, and scraper blades to remove the foods from the cylinder walls and place same in the path of the propeller blades.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a combined propeller and scraper blade, the blade component being removably socketed on the opposite side of the device from the propeller component.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of an extrusion unit comprising a hollow cylindrical casing, a rotatable shaft centrally and longitudinally disposed therewithin, and a plurality of propeller and scraper units on the shaft, the sweep of scraper units overlapping the sweep of the propeller units.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of a device for scraping material from the inner walls of a hollow cylinder which comprises a rotating shaft, a plurality of sleeve members threaded on the shaft, a propeller on one side of each sleeve, and a scraper on the opposite side thereof, the scraper having a removable blade element keyed thereinto.

Other, further and more specific objects of the present invention will in part be obvious and still others will be pointed out specifically in connection with the following description of an illustrative embodiment thereof.

In the drawings annexed hereto and forming a part hereof:

Figure 1 is a front view, partly broken away and partly in section, of one form of apparatus constructed according to and embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a part elevational, part sectional view, illustrating the manually adjustable flow regulating valve;

Figure this a similar section illustrating a thermostatically controlled flow mixing valve;

Figure 4 is a plan of a pivoting key bar for securing the thermostatically controlled valve to the valve stem;

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the machine also partly broken away and partly sectioned to illustrate internal construction and arrangement of parts;

Figure 6 is a longitudinal section through the freezing barrel component of my invention, the propeller and scraper elements being illustrated in elevation;

Figure 7 is a section on the line 1-1 of Fig. 6;

Figure 8 is an exploded view of the scraper knife blade and socket therefor, the knife blade being shown in section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 9; and

Figure 9 is a side elevational view of the scraper blade.

Figure 1 illustrates an embodiment of my invention wherein two identical units, A and B, are disposed within casing Il). I will hereinafter, however, describe the structure and operation of one of the units, A, it being understood that the other unit, B, is identical therewith.

Casing l0 is supported by frame l2 resting on a, suitable platform I4. In the lower portion of casing IB there is disposed a refrigeration unit i6 of conventional character. In the upper portion of casing ID, at the rear thereof, I mount a motor I8 on a suitable socket support 20. The motor shaft 22 is provided with an annularly grooved pulley wheel 24 and is connected by belt 26 to an annularly grooved pulley wheel `2l! mounted on the outer end of a shaft extension 3Q. The shaft extension 30 is supported along its length by a pair of pillow blocks 32 32. The inner end of shaft extension 3|] is coupled as at 34 to the main shaft 36. Resting atop a suitable support as 38 in the upper front part of casing Il) is an insulating box 40 of square cross section, as shown in Fig. 1. A hollow cylinder 42 is disposed Within box 40, supported therewith as by inwardly shouldered portions 44 of flange end members 46, 46. The major part of cylinder 42 is surrounded by a spaced cylinder 48 supported at its ends by head portions 5l), 5l). As seen in Figs. 5 and 6, the terminal ends of the inner cylinder 42 `project beyond the outer cylinder 48, the space 52 between the cylinders defining a jacket for the passage of a refrigerant around inner cylinder 42. The refrigerant is piped from unit I6 into jacket 52 through inlet 54 at the front bottom of the box and out there- -about shaft 36.

3 from through exit exit part 55 at the rear top of the box, via suitable piping.

Shaft 36 extends through inner cylinder 42 from the rear thereof and is supported by head plate 58 at the rear of the cylinder and at the front thereof by another head plate as 60, differently shaped as to provide a discharge spout 62 and a centrally located socketed recess 64, to receive the end of shaft 38 therewithin. Flangel 46 is recessed as at 88, plate 58 ntting thereinto in fluid-tight relationship. As seen in Fig. 6, the center of plate 58 is shouldered rearwardly and threaded as at 68, and a gland nutlfl screw fittedY thereover as to compress the intermediately placed packing I2 and thereby insure a fluid-tight fit about rotating shaft 3G.

I provide, and mount on shaft 88, a plurality of specially prepared elements 88, 80 which are one of the main features of the present invention, to wit, combined propeller and scraper members.

" These are best illustrated in Figs. 6 to 9 inclusive.

Each member 80 comprises a central collar portion 82 of such internal diameter as to slidably fit The member 8d may be locked on shaft 36 at any desired point thereon by means of -a set screw as indicated at 84.. Extending outwardly from one side of collar 82 is a curved propeller blade 88, the outer margin of which is curved on a circle whose radius is Very slightly smaller than the inner radius of cylinder 42.

Propeller blades 88, 86 are so biased that on rota- `tion thereof, material within cylinder 42 Will be moved from left to right along the length of cylinder 42 as in Figs. 5 and 6. Extending outwardly and radially from collar 82, and on the aspect vthereof opposite blade 85, is an arm 80, which is axially -slitted from the top thereof as at 92, slit 92 communicating with a circular opening 94. A scraper member 98 is provided having a pair of downwardly extended legs 98, 98 which are spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the thickness of arm 90 so as to straddle same. Extending across legs 98, 98 is a half-round shaft |00 of such thickness as to slidably fit through notch 92 into'thesemi-circular recess 84. As illustrated in Figure 8, when the straight side of shaft is axially aligned with the scraper blade component |02, the scraper member can then be fitted onto arm 90 in axialalignment. Of course, as will be obvious, when the scraper arm is flipped over into the position shown in Fig. 7, and the assembly disposed within cylinder 42, the scraper element becomes lockedagainst removal. Also, the extent to which the scraper may be flipped or swung over is limited by the contact of the lower edge of blade |02 against the side of arm 98, and is preferably so adjusted that the edge of the scraper makes sliding contact with the inside of the cylinder 42. As seen in Fig. 6, arm 80 extends from collar 82 at one end thereof, and the scraper blades, preferably of length longer than propeller blades 86, extend beyond their associated propeller members. Elements 80, 80 are spaced along the length of shaft 36 inside cylinder 42 as to have the scraper of one element 80 lap over the sweep of the propeller of the adjacent elements 80, 80.

The food mix, in liquid form, is charged into insulated tanks |04 at the upper portion of the casing I0, from which it flows, by gravity through tapered outlet |06, into funnel |08 and thence, via piping ||0 into cylinder 42 through opening ||2y in plate 58.

The rate of flow of the mix from tank |04 into .cylinder 42 may be controlled either manually,

as in Figs. 1, 2 and 5, or thermostatically as in Figs. 3 and 4. Referring to the manually operated mix flow valve illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 5, an elongated rod ||4 vertically supported by a bracket ||8 is provided with a tapered seat ||8 at its bottom. The upper end of rod l |4, extending upwardly of the casing, is threaded as at |20 and a threaded bolt |22 engaged therewith serves to raise or lower the seat portion |f|8 out of or into tapered outlet |06. `The thermostatic control illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, comprises a similar elongated rod 4 vertically supported by a bracket ||6, and having a tapered seat portion |18 at its lower end. The upper end |24 of rod ||4 is engaged by the free notched end |26 of swinging arm |28, the other end |30 thereof being pivotally connected to the bellows portion |32 of a thermostat |34. Thermostat |34 is connected to the freezer cylinder 42 as .by tubing |40, and the temperatures therein will automatically control the rise and fall of valvastem I4 andplug seat |:|8. The thermostat |34 ,may be supported upwardly of the device by a suitable bracket |42, and adjustments kfor the length of the -strokeof rod |4 may be made by a Wingnut |44.

The delivery spout 62 on plate 6.0 may be Vclosed by a swinging door |50 `pivoted on one side vas at |52, so that during operation of the machine, the contents may be permitted to bedischarged to any desired extent.

My apparatus .is of vrelatively simple construction, and easy to operate. The Aassembly of the propellerescraper units .on the mai-n Shaft present no particular difficulty, and kthe shaft with the propeller-Scrapers thereon can be -removed from the inner cylinder as a unit, upon removal of plate .58. The .shaft may be rotated. in use at about 435 R. P. M. at a temperature within the freezing cylinder V42 of 18 to 20 the ,propeller blades whipping the mixwhile the temperature is low, freezing same, the scraper blades throwing material adhering to the cylinder sides rinwardly in the path of the propellers.

I claim:

l. An apparatus of the character described comprising an elongated 'hollow cylinder, an elongated shaft extending therethrough centrally thereof, means to rotate said shaft, a plurality of collar members mounted on said vshaft along the length thereof for rotation therewith, propeller means extending radially from said collar on one side thereof, and scraper means extending4 radially from said collar on the opposite side thereof and reaching at least on one side beyond the edge of the propeller blade, the effective and operative radial length ofthe propeller and of the scraper being slightly less than the internal diameter of the cylinder, whereby the scraper means will `remove material adhering to the cylinder over its internal circumference into the path of the propeller means.

2. An apparatus as in claim l, in which the propeller is integral with the collar, and the scraper blade is removably securedto the collar.

3. Apparatus as in claim 1, in whichthe propeller is integral with the collar, and the scraper comprises a base and a blade, the blade being removable and extending axially of the cylinder, when in position on the base, beyond the edge of the propeller on one side thereof.

4. An apparatus of the character described comprising an elongated hollow cylinder, smooth surfaced on the interior thereof an inletlport at one end thereof, an exit port at the opposite end thereof, means within the cylinder; to agitate material introduced tnereinto and advance same along the cylinder length from the inlet to the exit end thereof, which means comprise an elongated rotatable shaft disposed longitudinally and centrally of the cylinder, a plurality of collar members mounted on said shaft and spaced along the length thereof, a propeller blade on and extending irom each of the collars radially to an operative position in respect of the cylinder wall, an arm on and extending radially from each of the collars on the side thereof opposite the pro peller, and a scraper blade removably mounted in said arm to bear operatively against the cylinder wall throughout its internal circumference.

5. An apparatus as in claim 4, in which the arm is axially slotted and the blade has a cooperating portion which ts into said slot when in axial alignment therewith, and which, when angulated with respect to said slot positioning same REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name lDate 823,262 Collins June 12, 1906 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 24,549 Switzerland June 11, 1902 

